Founders Forum: What Nobody Tells You About the Cash and Ops Reality of Scaling a Brand

Founder’s Forum 
Facilitator: Courtney Lewallen​

The Founder’s Forum is designed specifically for early-stage founders and emerging brand leaders navigating the foundational phases of building a CPG company. Tailored for businesses generating $50K–$15M in annual revenue, this Forum brings together startup entrepreneurs and the industry partners who specialize in supporting them — including consultants, agencies, suppliers, mentors, and service providers committed to startup founder success.

Founders Forum: The CPG Growth Squeeze: What Nobody Tells You About the Cash and Ops Reality of Scaling a Brand
July 24th
11:30 – 1:00 pm MT
Husch Blackwell
1801 Wewatta St., Suite 1000, Denver, CO, 80202

Discussion Details:

• The production-to-payment gap no one maps out – how co-man net-30 terms, 3PL fees, and retailer net-60/90 cycles quietly create a cash squeeze, and how to model it out before it causes too much pain in the business.
• Building for where you’re going, not just where you are – the real cost of being stuck in current ops mode when your business needs someone thinking 60–90 days ahead.
• What your 3PL rate card isn’t showing you – the difference between what things cost in isolation vs. what they cost when you’re actually shipping at volume, and the questions to ask before signing anything.
• Supplier leverage at any size – why most early-stage brands assume they have none with suppliers and co-mans, and how showing up prepared (with alternatives) changes the conversation entirely.

Discussion Questions:

• How are you managing the cash flow gap between when you pay your co-man and when you get paid by a retailer or distributor – and what’s worked?
• What’s the most expensive partner surprise you’ve walked into (3PL, co-man, or distributor) – and what would you tell a founder to ask upfront before signing?
• At what point did your ops complexity shift from manageable to overwhelming, and what was the first thing you changed?
• What systems/tools/process/resources are you using to manage a solid 90-180 day outlook on your business? Where do you feel the most informed? Where do you feel the most blind?

Courtney​ is a Marketing and Sales Director at Leapin’ Lizard Labels, where she partners with CPG founders to bring products to market and scale successfully through strategic packaging. With more than a decade of experience supporting emerging and established brands, she is passionate about helping entrepreneurs turn vision into execution. In addition to her work in the labeling industry, Courtney has facilitated mastermind groups for over 10 years through Leapin’ Lizard Labels, creating spaces for peer learning, accountability, and confident decision-making. She also founded Traverse Beyond, where she leads leadership development and growth experiences for entrepreneurs and executive teams globally.

Speaker: Katie Horgan​

Katie is the Founder & CEO of Bravo CPG​. She has held ops, logistics and supply chain roles at multiple VC-backed CPG brands, and started Bravo CPG In 2018 to help early and growth stage brands get better access to top operations talent. She is a Marine Corps veteran, a graduate of USC and Columbia University and splits time between Bend, OR and Austin, TX

Parking information:

The office is located at 1801 Wewatta St., Suite 1000, Denver, CO, 80202. If using public transportation, the office is one block north of Union Station at 18th & Wewatta St. If driving, parking is available in the public parking garage connected to our office building, also known as the 1801 Wewatta building. You will see signs for the Hotel Indigo at the garage entrance off 18th street between Wewatta and Chestnut streets. Proceed up the ramp, pull a ticket, and park in any spot that does not have a reserved sign. Be sure to bring your ticket with you, as we will validate it. After parking, head to the elevators and take them down to the 1st floor, following the signs to 1801 Wewatta. Let the security guard know that you are a guest of Husch Blackwell, and they will grant you access to the 10th floor.